Fluid regulating valve



March 15, 1938 c. F. ToussAlNT FLUID REGULATING VALVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Dec. 23, 1955 R D Y m NF//O g 5. mm m C. F. TOUSSAINT FLUIDREGULATING VALVE March 15, 1938;

Filed Dec. 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 NEYS.

INVENTOR Charles ETuuss aini'. BY

AT 0R Patented Mar. i5, 1938 ,r'nuin momma VALVE Charles F. Tollssaint,Chicago, Ill., assignor, by

assignments, to The Electrimatic Corpoattion', Chicago, 111., acorporation of illi- Application December as, 1935, Serial 1w... 55,818

2. Claims. (01. 131-153) This invention relates to fluid-regulatingvalves, and more particularly to a pressure-actuated valve.

Valves of the character to which the present in- 5 vention pertains havemany applications, such as regulating circulation of water, steam, oil,gas,

and the like. Therefore, no attempt will be made to describe a specificuse, but the subject will be treated broadly as applied to the controlof any circulated pressure fluid.

The invention has primarily for its object the provision of afluid-regulating valve, including pressure-actuated means functioning incoopera-' tion with the valve to eliminate chattering; to providefull'opening and tight closing; quiet oper: ation; and to insureregulation of the flow of pressure fluid to a high degree of accuracy,regardless of varying pressure.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object of the presentinvention is to provide'a regulating piston valve with apressure-actuated pilot valve for controlling operation of the pistonvalve.

A still further object is to provide adjustable means for predeterminingthe capacity of the valve, within certain range limits, depending uponthe fluid supply pressure, regardlessof variation in such pressure.

, Other objects reside in the novel features of design and structure,which will be more apparent as the description proceeds.

45 In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a valve constructed in accordancewith one form oi the present invention. 1

Figure 2 is a similar fragmentary section illustrating a modified formof manually controlled bypass. 1 1

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation with parts" brokenv away and insection, illustrating still another form of manually controlled by-pass,and

Figure 4 illustrates a valve incorporating the salient features of thepresent invention, and in which the compensating or manually controlledby-pass valve is eliminated.

Referring now more particularly to the accom pan ing drawings, in thatform of the invention With the above and other objects in view, whichdisclosed in Figure 1, the numeral l designates a valve casing providedwith an inlet 2 and an outlet 3, having disposed therebetween apartition 4 provided with an opening 5 in which a bushing 6 is fitted,The bushing 6 is provided with a flange 1, and disposed between theflange and the lower face of the partition 4 is a gasket 8, whicheffects a seal between the two members. At its lower end the bushing 6is provided with a seat 9 for engagement with a piston valve iii, to bedescribed hereinafter more in detail.

The casing l is provided with a depending cylindrical extension ll, openat its lower end for receptionof a valve cage l2, secured to theextension in any suitable manner, such as bolts l3, illustrated inFigure 1, passing through the flanges of the cage and the extension Ii.The cage l2 also serves to hold the bushing 6 within the opening 5 ofthe partition 4.

Slidably mounted within the cage i2 is the piston valve I provided withan annular recess i in its upper face for reception of a gasket l6,which is locked inposition by a flanged head l'l threaded into the topof the valve I0. Within the cage l2 a well guide I8 is provided, which,as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is formed independently of the cage andthreaded into its bottom. The guide l8 receives the shank of a pilotvalve 19, designed to cooperate with a seat 20 formed on the lower endof the flanged head ll, carried by the valve l0, and to provide a tightseal with the seat 20 the upper end of the valve I9 is recessed forreception of a gasket 2i secured therein by a screw 22 for engagementwith the seat 20.

An expansible coil spring 23 disposed between the shank of the valve i9and the well guide I8 serves to normally urge the pilot valve intoengagement with the seat 20. Oriflces 24 formed in the cage I2 providecommunication between the inlet side of the valve casing and the bushing6, as will be hereinafter described.

In that form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, a cylindricalhead 25 is mounted upon the top of the casing, and is secured thereto bymeans of a flanged thimble 26 threaded into the casing l, and providedwith a lock nut 2'! bearing against the bottom of the head 25. The upperend of the thimble 26 is closed by a threaded cap 28 provided with anopening cooperating with an opening in the lower end of the thimble toguide the stem 29, which projects through an enlarged orifice i'l'formed in the flanged head 11, and engages the head of the screw 22 ofthe pilot valve [9 for actuating the latter, as will be later described.

, In order to effect a tight seal between the stem 29 and the thimble26, a conventional bellows 30 is positioned within the recess in thethimble, and has its lower end secured to the stem in the usual manner,while its upper end is attached Mounted upon the top of the head 25 isan inverted cup 32 provided with a threaded nipple 33, to which apressure line (not shown) is coupled in the usual manner. Here it may beexplained that the pressure introduced into the cup i3 serves as theactuating medium for controlling operation of the main piston valve Ill,through actuation of the pilot valve l3, andwhile the pressure fluidintroduced into the cup 32 may be taken from any source, it is to beunderstood that the pressure-actuating medium might be obtained from athermal bulb, particularly in instances where temperature and pressureare so related that they vary in constant proportion to one another.Therefore, wherever pressure actuation is referred to, it is to beunderstood that the same may be derived from any source affected by thevolume of the fluid to be regulated.

A bellows 34 is positioned within the cup 32, and is attached at itslower end to a flanged washer 35, which is anchored in the cup by meansof an annular bead 36. The upper end of the bellows 34 is secured to aplate 31, which carries a depending pin 38, that pro ects through a plug39 threaded into the top of the head 25. 'As best shown in Figure 1, theplug 39 is provided with spanner openings 39', and access is had to theplug through an opening 40 provided in the head 25, and normally coveredby a closure plate 4|. Disposed within the bellows 34, between the upperplate 31 and the plug 39, is an expansible coil spring 42, which opposesthe pressure fluid entering the cup 32.

From the foregoing explanation, considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the structure of that form of the inventionillustrated in Figure 1 will be quite apparent, and therefore theoperation of the valve will be described now in detail. With the partsof the valve in their normal position, as shown, the main piston valveI0 is held to the seat 9 by the pressure of the fluid against the bottomof the valve, the pressure fluid having access thereto through the port43 formed in the cage l2 below the bottom of the piston valve. Assumingthatthe pressure of the fluid on the outlet side or top of the pistonvalve Ill is equal to the pressure exerted upon the lower face of thevalve iii, no action occurs. However, should the actuating pressurefluid be increased beyond a predetermined value, the pressure in the cup32 becomes effective, and working upon the plate 31 collapses thebellows 34 against the tension of the spring 42, causing the pin 33 toengage the stem 29 and open the pilot valve l9, which releases pressureon the lower side of the piston valve Ill, through the orifice l'l',causing the piston valve to open and admit pressure fluid through theports 24 in the cage l2, and through the bushing 6 to the discharge sideof the valve. When the actuating pressure again reaches itspredetermined value, the pressure of the fluid in the cup 32 is overcomeby the tension of the spring 42, which is determined by adjustment ofthe threaded plug 39.

As the spring raises the plate 31 of the bellows a,111,aso

be now explained, by use of the pilot valve flmctioning in conjunctionwith the main piston valve, which is the salient feature of the presentinvention, the foregoing operation is accomplished to a high degree ofaccuracy, quiet operation, elimination of chattering, and both tightclosing and full opening of the main valve when required.

Since the capacity of the valve increases in direct proportion to theincrease in the controlled fluid pressure, and the opening and closingdifferential decreases to an undesirable small value, it is highlyessential to regulatethe characteristics of the valve. This is'accomplished in that form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2,and 3 by means of a manually controlled bypass between the fluid supplyand the lower side of the piston. In Figure 1 this comprises the port 43and the manually operable needle valve It will thus be seen that theflow of fluid to the lower side of the piston valve ll may be increasedor decreased to provide the same relative results that will be otherwiseobtained by varying the clearance between the piston valve l0 and thecage 24. However, it will be appreciated that the latter arrangement isnot as practical as a manually controlled by-pass, as some difllculty isencountered in determining the proper clearances, and these would haveto be varied by replacement of different size pistons for variations ofpressure of the supply fluid; That form of the invention illustrated inFigure 4, which will be later described, eliminates the manuallycontrolled by-pass, and provides clearance between the piston valve andcage, which is entirely satisfactory for a constant supply pressure,but, as explained, vai'iations in the supply pressure can only be takencare of by replacement of the piston valves to provide the properclearance in proportion to the supply pressure, which presents theobvious objections enumerated.

It will be further apparent that opening of the by-pass port 43 inFigure 1 will decrease the flxed maximum capacity, and increase thedifferential between closed and open positions of the main piston valveI0. In this manner it is possible to adjust the capacity of the valve toa constant value less than normal maximum, for all pressure conditionsup to flfty per cent of their maximum value.

That form of the invention shown in Figure 2 is in all essentialrespects identical with the structure heretofore described andillustrated in Figure 1, with the exception that instead of a bypassport being formed in the cage, a coupling 45 is threaded into the lowerend of the cage and connected by a tube 46 with a needle valve fltting41 threaded into the valve casing l on the supply side of the same.Under certain conditions this apparatus has its advantages, although itwill be obvious that the same will function to produce identical resultsof the by-pass shown in Figure 1, in that the supply fluid passing tothe under side of the piston valve can be controlled in like manner bythe needle valve 44.

Also, in that form of the invention shown in Figure 2 a'screen orperforated shell 48 surrounds the cage i 2' to prevent sediment andforeign matter from passing through the valve. This, however, isoptional.

In Figure 3 still another form of by-pass is disclosed, wherein the cageis provided with connecting ports 49 forming a communication between theoutside of the cage and the under side trolled, valve 44 is directlycarried by the cage 6,.

of the piston. In this instance a manually conand is removabletherewith, which eliminates the necessity of alining openings in thecage and illustrated in Figure 1, a separate threaded thimble 26 isprovided for guiding the stem 29 and housing the sealing bellows.whereas in Figure 4 this is accomplished by a boss'25 formed integrallywith the valve casing I, and threaded at its outer end to receive a locknut 21 for securing a spider 25 on the casing, the spider serving thesame function as the head 25 illustrated in Figure 1. Also, in the otherforms of the invention illustrated, the well guide It is formedseparately from the cage, whereas in Figure 4 the well I8 is formedintegrally with the cage. In Figure l the cage is bolted to the bottomof the valve casing, while in Figures 2 to 4, inclusive, the cages arethreaded therein. However,- it is to be understood that suchdistinctions are merely contemplated for manufacturing purposes, and donot affectthe salient features and operations of the invention.

Aspreviously explained, the piston valve Ill, as

. shown in Figure 4, is provided with suiiicient the present inventionnot only provides for regulation, but also has a modulating actionheretofore unobtainable in valves of conventional types, in that only avery slight opening of the pilot valve is required in order to releasethe supply fluid from beneath the piston faster than the same can entereither through the clearance between the valve and cage, or through theby-pass ports, thus causing the main valve to quickly open, and followthe pilot valve, again restricting the opening through the main valve,to only that capacity required for the desired operation of the valveIll essential to accurate and modulating action, rather than a fast,excessive opening and closing as occurs in conventional types of valves.It will further'be noted that inasmuch as the shank of the pilot valveis snugly fitted within a well guide, the well serves as a dashpot toretard its action, thus eliminating rapid, Jerky action of the pilotvalve. The same is also true as regards the piston valve, the skirt ofwhich works in the cage.

Having thus described several 'forms of the present invention inconsiderable detail, it is to be understood that various changes instructural design are contemplated as coming within the scope of theinvention, and therefore the same is only to be limited in accordancewith the following claims.

I claim: 1

1. A modulating valve for regulating fluid flow comprising, a valvecasing having a pressure fluid inlet and an outlet, a partition betweensaid inlet and the outlet provided with an opening, a cylindrical valveguide positioned in said casing on the inlet side of said partition, afloating pis ton valve slidable in said guide for controlling saidpartition opening to regulate the flow of fluid therethrough andactuated by differential pressures upon its opposite faces, said pistonvalve having a pilot opening surrounded by a valve seat, a pilot valveengaging said valve seat upon a plane, a stem slidably guided. in saidcasing for abutting engagement with said pilot valve for controlling thesame, a well carried by said cas ing for snugly receiving the shank ofsaid pilot valve to guide said pilot valve entirely independent of saidpiston and provide a dash-pot opposing its movement, a spring urgingsaid pilot valve toward its seat, and means actuated-by fluid pressureother than that within the valve casing for operating said stem.

2. A modulating valve for regulating fluid flow comprising, a valvecasing having a pressure fluid inlet and an outlet, a partition betweensaid inlet and the outlet provided with an opening, a cylindrical valveguide positioned in said casing on the inlet side of said partition, afloating piston valve slidable in said guide for controlling saidpartition opening to regulate the flow of fluid therethrough andactuated by differential pressures upon its opposite faces, said pistonvalve having a pilot opening surrounded by a valve seat, a pilot valveengaging said valve seat upon a plane, a,

stem slidably guided in said casing for abutting engagement with saidpilot valve for controlling the same, a sylphon seal between said stemand valvecasing, a well carried by said casing for snugly receiving theshank of said pilot valve to guide said pilot valve entirely independentof said piston and provide a dash-pot opposing its movement, a springurging said pilot valve toward its seat, and means actuated by fluidpressure other than that within the valve casing for operating saidstem.

3. A modulating valve for regulating fluid flow comprising, a valvecasing having a pressure fluid inlet and an outlet, a partition betweensaid inlet and the outlet provided with an opening, a cylindrical valveguide positioned in said casing on the inlet side of said partition, afloating piston valve slidable in said guide for controlling saidpartition opening to regulate the flow of fluid therethrough andactuated by differential pressures upon its opposite faces, said pistonvalve having a pilot opening surrounded by a valve seat, a pilot valveengaging said valve seat upon a plane, a stem slidably guided in saidcasing for abutting engagement with said pilot valve for controlling thesame, a sylphon seal between said stem and valve casing, a well carriedby said casing for snugly receiving the shank of said pilot valve toguide said pilot valve entirely independent of said piston and provide adash-pot opposing its movement, a spring urging said pilot valve

